Mutineer Umair alerts us to a case of lottery fraud in Sacramento, via our news tab. Apparently, a cashier at a Roseville-area 7-11 tried to keep a winning “Mega Million” ticket for herself. Here’s the backstory:
…the customer whose ticket was stolen was unaware he’d won more than half a million dollars when he went to the store Aug. 16.
The man, who officials said has a language barrier, purchased five sets of numbers at the 7-Eleven market at 1900 Douglas Blvd. two days earlier and had used his own numbers to play.
He handed his winning ticket to the clerk to run through a validation machine to determine the amount won, Currier said.
However, after running the ticket, Kaur told the man, “You’ve won four dollars,” and paid him that amount, Currier said. The attorney said Kaur kept the winning ticket, apparently with designs to cash it later.
Currier said that in the ensuing days, the victim saw news reports about the prize money being unclaimed and that the winning ticket had been purchased at the 7-Eleven in Roseville.
On Tuesday, the man called the lottery office, which referred his complaint to its security and law enforcement division.
Working with Roseville police, the lottery agents, who are sworn peace officers, went to the store to investigate, Currier said. [SacBee]
Yeah, I bolded that last bit because I had no idea that lottery agents are sworn peace officers!
Getting back to the news and the tip which introduced me to it: the link Umair left was for a local television station, whose story had “comments” enabled, much like a blog. I read the entire thread, which at this point includes 40 comments. My, my…what a stunning display of hate. Some of the best remarks follow, for your enragement and edification.
BlueBlood, in Charlotte, NC pithily said:
one way ticket to the border
BOOMER of Tampa, FL charmingly declared:
DEPORT THAT 3RD WORLD TRASH. SHE SHOULD BE GLAD IT WASN’T ME SHE TRIED TO DE-FRAUD, SHE’D BE IN INTENSIVE CARE TONIGHT.
Booboo of Sikeston, MO has some interesting views:
Sorry, but the name sounds Hindi, and I am not surprised. Every time a hotel Patel or shop clerk has tried to rip me off to my face it was an Asian Indian. Muslims might kill you but won’t rip you off….
Mike H of Sacramento, CA (finally! A local!) responded thusly:
this 7-11 clerk doesnt LOOK foreign…she IS foreign…whens the last time u walked into a 7-11 and the clerk had less than 12 letters in their name?
Never mind that there have been Sikhs in North America for generations, right?
I Hate Whiners of Los Angeles, CA brilliantly articulates:
You’re an idiot !
First off she middle eastern……now a days = no good.
Secondly, she’s a scumbag.
And finally, quit sticking up for your pals.
Bottom line, she’s a thief, liar and a plain no good “human”.
Then, THIS appositely-handled genius from Elk Grove, CA , What_The, pipes up:
Actually, India, until recent years, was always considered to be the MidEast. Nowadays, they are more popularly associated with SouthEast Asia. That doesn’t change their history, though.
Take heart, my brownies. Some humans valiantly tried to fight the good fight…
Lana of Sacramento, CA:
She is not Middle Eastern. Go study geography before you make such accusations against people.
Disbelief from Japan is just too sensible:
I can’t believe how many people are so quick to jump on the nationality/ethnicity issue. It would hardly be productive to call commenters like Booboo (#19), Boomer (#16), or stupid (#1) dumb racist honkies. Nor would it be productive to call people like The Silence (#15) or wow (#6) granola-munching tree-hugging hippies. Let’s not forget that every country has jails, and the prison system in the US incarcerates people of various ethnic backgrounds and of different nationalities.
Unless you are a Native American, you too are a “dirty foreigner”.
Denver, Colorado’s The Silence tried to inject reason, too:
Oh my gosh! How do you even know she’s not an American? She could still speak with an accent even if she’s lived in the country all of her life. What she did was VERY stupid. She can post bond for $55000 because in most states, you only have to pay a bondsman 10% of the total. So someone would have had to put up $5,500 to get her out. Yes expensive, but no that expensive if someone has good credit cards, 2nd mortgage, etc.,
And finally, Listen to all the hate, of Normal, IL, said:
To the ones so ready to deport … What would be your answer to a 4th generation American white guy/girl that did the same thing? Just jail or violence, eh? Look foreign, and it’s time to deport. Stupid. [News10 and News10]
I’m disturbed at how many of the people who chose to comment, did so from way beyond Sacramento (I’ve seen that elsewhere, SFGate.com, most notably…wtf is up with that? Do they troll for far-flung opportunities to show off bigotry? Busy life they must lead…). But, I’m also heartened by those who stepped up to do the futile— disabuse idiots of their ideas.
The commenter I quoted above, from Illinois, is right— there is an obvious double standard.
Donald Currier, the lottery’s chief legal counsel, said it was the second time in two years that a retail clerk had been arrested for allegedly stealing a winning ticket. [SacBee]
…yes, and I wonder if people wanted to send THAT criminal back to wherever, or if they generalized about an entire culture, because of a single, shady clerk’s behavior. News10 chose to use the title, “There’s a Lesson Here”, which made me uncomfortable— my spider sense was tingling. I’m sure they meant to instill a sense of caution in the public, but it feels uglier than that…but maybe that’s just me. After reading fecal matter in the comments section.
Rajinder Kaur, 40, is free on $50,000 bail after her arrest Tuesday on grand theft…
The ticket owner’s name is being withheld until the lottery completes its investigation, Johnston said. [News10]
Indians. Can’t trust ‘em, can’t live without their incredibly vast contributions to this nation and her prosperity.
